A couple of years ago while watching a documentary I discovered a house cat can revert to its natural state under the right circumstances. I imagined my obese ginger male going from his prescription canned cat food to hunting and feasting on rodents and birds. His once silky coat now matted with dirt and leaves. His fat haunches transformed into lean muscle. Instead of dramatically crying for his supper twice a day, he’d hide in alleys and beneath parked cars avoiding contact with humans while ruling the night. As I stroked Otto’s fur I decided I’d was no longer single, I’d turned feral instead.

When I went through a difficult divorce nine years ago I suspected my dating life would be difficult. I had no idea it would become a soul-crushing, near impossible endeavor. Right out of the gate, I had two fairly tragic rebound relationships that imploded almost as soon as they’d started. Online dating felt more like an exercise in attrition and increasingly lowered expectations. I’d get the obligatory emails from men involved with BDSM – twice as many submissives than dominants. Couples would email me hoping I want to join in some three-way play. My inbox would overflow with email from men in other countries and far away states. Traveling business men would contact me late at night, expecting me to drop everything to run to their hotel room and be their unpaid prostitute. Dates rarely materialized and if they did they were often two awkward people sitting across from each other with nothing in common but judgmental stares. Men openly criticized me for my profession, the circumstances around my divorce, and pretty much every lifestyle choice I had made up until the point of meeting them. When I met men offline it seemed like the only interested parties were either married or so young they could easily be mistaken for my son. I’d also met guys who expected me to go home with them five minutes after meeting them. If I showed any hesitation at all I was quickly forgotten for the next random woman who would say yes.

When I showed interest in anyone I was usually treated like a completely crazy person. I realize I’m not every man’s dream woman. I have a big personality. I talk a lot. I’m so nerdy that I can blather for hours about the rise of fascism or the madness of Kaiser Wilhelm II. I won’t know anything about the latest movie that came out but I could tell you more than you’d ever want to know about the life of Nikola Tesla or how mutations take hold in a genome. I’m opinionated and stubborn. I will disagree and challenge men often and openly. For amusement I get onstage and yell at total strangers in darkened basements that are masquerading as makeshift comedy clubs. I’m a sledgehammer of truth. Some folks find my qualities charming while others, find them incredibly annoying. My natural nemesis seems to be the classic khaki wearing, boat shoed finance bro alpha male. On multiple occasions I’ve found myself in screaming matches with a half drunk, angry day trader minutes after meeting them.

I’m also not all that interested in finding my dream man. I have massive trust issues and pretty much assume every man is lying to me from the moment they open their mouth. Because my ex-husband was a closeted gay man I pretty much assume all men are gay until proven otherwise. Any nurturing qualities left in me were stamped out by my dysfunctional and broken marriage. I don’t want to fix a man, pay his rent, make him forget his last girlfriend or guide him through rehab. If he’s not ready to wear I’ll just toss him back on the pile. I have zero interest in being an unpaid and untrained psychotherapist. There’s no part of me that longs to hang out with people I can’t stand because they’re friends with my partner. I don’t want to sit through plates of hot wings and beer when I’d rather have vegetarian Chinese takeout. If he’s wounded and broken, I’ll leave him for someone who can handle wounded and broken. I’ve got a freight train worth of emotional baggage and a hair-trigger that will cause me to bolt the second I sense danger. If a man blanks me on a text, I will delete them from my phone.
I’ll leave my apartment with glasses, messy hair, ball caps and dirty jeans. No fucks are given. I watch my weight like a hawk because I have to for my industry but I honestly don’t care if someone finds me “pretty.”

I’ve got no online dating profiles. I waste no glances as men walk by. I pose no questions about a man’s dating status.

I live in an apartment the size of an average single car garage. My 450 square foot space is so small that no man would look at it and see an inch for his belongings. There’s no spare drawer or extra closet space. If I was actually trying to date I’d issue parking rules on my front door. – Four hour minimum or mandatory tow.

I look forward to my future as I grow increasingly strange and eccentric. I’ll become the 60-year-old with blue hair who still wears Doc Martens and has birthday parties for my cats. The lack of companionship has caused entire sections of my personality to atrophy and die. I encourage others now to eschew the label of single and embrace the feral mindset. We are no longer waiting for our Mr. or Mrs. Right, we are hunting proverbial birds and mice in the night and loving every second of it.

Last week a debate about what constitutes sexual assault and what doesn’t erupted on social media. I won’t rehash the horribly written article about Aziz Ansari and I won’t hyperlink to it either. That site has gotten plenty of traffic in the past week. I don’t want to debate the language, tone or content of the piece. Whatever could be said about it has been said about it. I’ve officially reached Aziz fatigue.

What I do want to continue however is the discussion about the weird grey area that exists between enthusiastic obvious consent, and less than thrilled uneasy consent. This is a very real problem for both genders, although women have been conditioned to accept it more so than men. Most of us have been there. We agree to do something sexually that we’re not sure we want to do. Again, I’m not referring to the Aziz article or anything in it, I just wanted to explore what many of us talked about in discussions about awkward sexual experiences. In a perfect universe we should strive for obvious enthusiastic consent, but we’re also not going to get rid of hundreds of years of social conditioning overnight. We are currently in a strange new world where some of the shame and stigma regarding human sexuality has been lifted, while still living with outdated perceptions of gender norms and what constitutes appropriate behavior.

The most compelling insight on the piece came from a surprising source – the sex positive community. I have a few friends who are so sex positive they have orgies for fun. They plan sex parties for a living. Many of them are in polyamorous or non-monogamous relationships with multiple partners sometimes of both genders. Some of them have worked as strippers, prostitutes, dominatrixes and even sexual surrogates. They speak of their sex lives as easily as most of us would talk about our pets or hobbies. They openly brag about having over 100 sexual partners or more. The general tone that I got from nearly all of them was.

What we have here is a lack of communication.

For decades it’s been drilled in our heads that we are not supposed to talk about sex. Human sexuality is rarely something we have frank and open conversations about, at least with new sexual partners. We are fed a myth our entire lives that amazing sex can be had with total strangers with very little communication. The exact opposite is true.

Sex is like rocket fuel to humans. It’s so important to us it’s literally how we create human life, yet at the same time we try to treat it like it’s something we can engage in without a second thought. Of course we can but we need some ground rules with a new partner if that’s going to happen. No one would think to jump out of an airplane without first being shown how to use a parachute. I don’t know why we can think we can magically enter into highly emotionally charged situations without figuring out appropriate boundaries first.

This list is about some of the strategies a person can use to avoid awkward, clumsy and uncomfortable consensual sexual encounters.

Everything on this list with a couple of exceptions is meant for BOTH GENDERS. Although I wrote this with straight couples in mind, some of the same principles could be applied any sexual orientation or gender identification.

*This list is only in regards to consensual sexual encounters. No amount of communication will deter a sexual predator. In those cases the only thing a person can do is physically fight back, escape a situation or scream for help if that’s an option. I want to make this distinction now as I don’t want anyone to think a person can simply talk their way out of a sexual assault. I speak about this as a survivor of sexual assault myself. Sexual assault is a criminal act where one half of the situation is given no agency, no control, no voice and no choice.

Tips for avoiding awkward sexual experiences.

Ask for what you want.

There is nothing wrong with simply asking for what you want. Both partners should be direct and open about boundaries and comfort levels.

The phrase “Do you want to have sex?” can be very sexy. It’s also incredibly unambiguous. The phrase “Can I kiss you?” can also be smolderingly hot if said in the right situation. It’s also perfectly acceptable to say what you don’t want. The best way to do this is to use clear language that cannot be misunderstood. Words like “No” “Stop” or “I don’t want to do this” are hard to misinterpret. Again this goes both for men and women. Men also find themselves in situations where they are not comfortable. Neither partner can assume the other one knows what they want without direct communication.

You are NEVER obligated to do anything you don’t want to do.

It doesn’t matter how much someone spent on a date. It doesn’t matter what you’ve already done on a date. Making out doesn’t mean you consent to oral sex. Having oral sex doesn’t mean your consent to anal sex. Having anal sex doesn’t mean you consent to new partners being added to the mix. If you don’t want to reciprocate or you’re not feeling it you can say no. You can stop at any time in the date. It might be awkward or strange to end the date abruptly, but the momentary awkwardness will be easier in the long-term than going through with something you’re not sure you want to do.

You don’t have to be polite if you don’t want to do something.

This is the only guideline on this list that is directed at women more than men. As women we are programmed almost from birth to be nice, sweet and accommodating. When you enter into a sexual act you are kind of putting yourself on the edge of a proverbial cliff. You don’t really know how your partner might treat you or react. During a sexual encounter a human being is about as vulnerable as they are ever going to be. This is not the time to worry about being polite. If you are freaked out or scared, you can just let it all out. No need to worry about how you’ll be perceived. Speak your truth. Stand up for yourself. If someone expects you to have unprotected sex and you insist on using protection say NO as loudly and as strongly as possible. There is NO WAY IN HELL you should put yourself in a potentially medically dangerous situation just to seem nice.

Real life is not a porn movie.

Porn is probably the worst teaching tool for having great sex. In most porn scenarios next to no dialog is spoken. A man somehow just knows that it’s OK to do all sorts of violent and depraved things to a woman he’s just met, he might even include another male partner without even remotely checking in with the woman. This is of course a fantasy.

Real life is not a fairy tale.

You might get lucky and have some incredibly romantic near perfect dates that end in beautiful, connected, and full-filling sex with someone you barely know. It does happen. It’s quite rare. Most amazing sex happens with someone you know well and have been having sex for some time.

When in doubt – check it out

If you suspect your partner is not into something stop and ask them. One of the craziest stories I’d ever heard came from a friend of mine who told me that in the middle of sex a new partner smacked her across the face. She stopped him immediately and said, “What are you doing? Why are you doing that?” he claimed his last partner was really into it. My friend told him she wasn’t. He stopped. She never had sex with him again. Because he immediately stopped the behavior after she requested it, she doesn’t consider this sexual assault. It’s a great example of a man assuming she would like something his last partner enjoyed. These assumptions happen all the time with both men and women. It’s ALWAYS better to check in before you take the risk of entering into behavior that could be seen as predatory, violent or criminal.

If it’s bad early on, it will probably stay bad.

I hate to say it but you can tell a lot from a kiss. If a man or woman’s idea of a hot kiss is your idea of a disgusting one, you’ll probably never connect sexually. It’s fine to simply make up some excuse and get out of the situation before you find yourself in a much more awkward experience later that night. Everyone goes through this. If a partner looks great on paper and you like him or her otherwise but her or she repulses you sexually, you’re probably better off not taking things further.

Excessive alcohol use can blur your judgment.

What I just typed is common sense. What I just typed has also been labeled as sexist, regressive, abusive and part of rape culture. The problem with the simple statement of “Don’t get drunk” is it’s often only told to women. Of course women should be able to drink alcohol if they want to and even get drunk. This exact same advice should also be given to men. Just as it is far more difficult to drive a car or walk down stairs, it’s also much more precarious to enter into a sexual situation when we are severely intoxicated. No one is perfect and people will sometimes accidentally drink too much. The dangers of excess alcohol are just a good thing to remind yourself of if you’re about to go out with a total stranger. I want to stress this again. BOTH GENDERS should heed this advice.

Gender specific “rules” that should be thrown out the window

For women

Men won’t respect you or ask you out again if you have sex too quickly after meeting them.

Don’t go out with him if he asks you out with less than three days notice for a date

Don’t go home with a man on a first date.

Don’t make out with a man on a first date.

Tell him you’ve had three sexual partners in your past. (For most of us that would be a lie)

Don’t openly talk about sex or act interested in sex.

Never really say what you feel always play the game

(Many more rules/assumptions too many to list here – basically that women must remain virginal, pure or at least appear so. Women must also act coy, not be direct and constantly appear nice)

For men

If a woman goes home with you on the first date she wants to have sex

If a woman has sex with you on the first date she has less value

Any woman can be convinced to have sex with you if you just keep trying

If a woman has more than three sexual partners in her past she has less value

If a woman makes out with you that means she wants to have sex with you.

If a women dresses in a revealing manner she wants to have sex with you.

If a woman has joked or flirted with you that means she wants to have sex with you.

Never really say what you feel always play the game

(Many more rules/assumptions too many to list here but basically that men should pursue, pursue, pursue even when things seem pathetic. Basically the cliché of a boss chasing his secretary around the desk.)

These are all antiquated ideas about love and sex. Most of these “rules” leave both genders confused and frustrated. The best way a man can find out if a woman wants to have sex with him is to ask her directly. Even though it’s usually wise to avoid sex with perfect strangers, I’ve known several long-term loving relationships that started out just like that. We have to stop thinking in rigid terms of gender roles and old-fashioned codes of behavior. We have to smash the ideas of playing hard to get, acting like we don’t really want sex when we actually do, and generally blurring the lines of open communication. We have to speak up as openly and clearly as possible and empower ourselves to say no when needed. Again this goes for both men and women.

The last guideline really has nothing to do with awkward sex but is more about the flip side.

You can have great sex with people who are terrible partners

This is probably one of the toughest lessons in life that both men and women learn the hard way. I think all of my friends have had amazingly hot, passionate sex with people who were absolutely horrible to them. Sex is great, but if someone is really treating you like garbage outside of the bedroom you’re better off without them. You can always find another partner who you will click with completely who won’t emotionally abuse or neglect you.

I’ve read a lot of articles regarding this topic that were all saying the same things I’m saying here. This is also extremely obvious advice, I admit that openly. I just wanted to get this out in a way that didn’t seem preachy, use words like patriarchy, misogyny, toxic masculinity or any other ism. Even though this is a widespread problem that is deeply entrenched in our culture we don’t have to think in terms of lofty goals to solve it. It starts with each and everyone of us. If we all want to have good sex we just need to start talking to each other about everything and anything. Don’t feel weird asking questions and never assume you know what’s going on in anyone else’s head.

As soon as the article hit the internet the outrage machine was in full force. People were decrying that Ansari was a rapist and that if anyone disagreed with them they were a rape apologist or supporting rape culture. The term “victim blaming” was thrown around quite a bit. I read and then re-read the article and kept coming to the same conclusion. This doesn’t read like sexual assault it just seems like a bad date.

When I posted my misgivings about the article on my Facebook page, a few woman I know shared similar views. Some even said they found it insulting as survivors of sexual assault themselves that something like this was being lumped in with real abuse.

I won’t break down the whole article beat by beat as I’m sure many others have done the same. What I couldn’t help but notice though with each re-reading:

Ansari was overtly blatant about his intentions. He went for sex almost as soon as they entered the apartment. He mentioned a condom and performed oral sex on this woman within 10 minutes of them being alone together.

The woman was playing coy. She had high expectations for this date. He was a celebrity. She had bragged about this date to her friends. She was under the impression that Ansari would be more like his stage persona, and less like the man who was acting like an entitled prick. She never really gives him a hard “No, I don’t want to do this” until after she’s performed oral sex on him twice, admittedly not whole heartedly.

From his perspective he’s not going to necessarily know she’s not into this if she has had his penis in her mouth twice that evening. Of course any woman at any time during a sexual encounter has the right to slam on the breaks and end it. Just because a woman agreed to make out with a man doesn’t mean she wants to have sex with him. Just because she might consent to oral sex, doesn’t mean she wants to take things further. What’s missing here is communication on both of their parts.

Ansari isn’t being subtle. If anything he’s being too overt. He’s acting like an spoiled brat who is used to having women throw themselves at him. He’s probably assuming this woman is a huge fan of his and this is just as exciting for her than it is for him. Ansari with all of his flaws is communicating nearly everything he wants. He isn’t telling this woman he’s madly in love with her. He didn’t bother with any pretense of wanting to get to know her better as a person. He wants sex. He wants sex immediately and keeps stating his intentions openly.

The woman is not communicating her needs as clearly. She only does so when things get so bad for her that she finally snaps. She moves away and mumbles, she tells him to “chill out” but she doesn’t tell him NO. She doesn’t use the one word that can’t be mistaken for any other meaning. The one word that he cannot misunderstand. She continues to make out with him and engage in sexual contact with him.

The real tragedy for me in this whole thing is not that she was sexually assaulted. I still don’t think she was sexually assaulted. Honestly if this really is the “worst night of her life” as she is quoted in the article then she has lived a charmed life. By the time I was 22 years old I’d had several bad dates like this one. I’d also survived molestation, sexual harassment, sexual assault and attempted rape. In all of those encounters I had no control whatsoever. It didn’t matter what I said or did, the men who were abusing me wouldn’t stop. I wish I could have started crying and asked for a cab to make it all stop, but no amount of tears or denials worked.

The real tragedy is that as a woman she’d been conditioned, probably since birth, to not speak up for herself in the moment. She somehow thought she could turn this horrific situation around by playing coy. She also thought that he might pick up on the fact that she “went cold” and stopped responding sexually. Again she was answering clear oral communication with vague non-verbal cues. She thouhgt she might change his mind by staying in sexual encounter but still stopping short of sex. She felt she had to “play nice” and not speak up for herself. The other tragedy is that Ansari had also been conditioned to believe that women can be coaxed into sex if men just keep pushing. Although her actions would be confusing to most men, when she finally said “Let’s chill out.” that should have been a cue for him to maybe ask her directly and bluntly what she wanted in that situation. Instead it was his turn to be vague and pretend they were really going to just watch television.

This was not an assault, it was a miscommunication of epic proportions with both sides making mistakes. I also honestly feel bad for the woman in this situation. I’m sure she was hurt and disappointed by all of it. He didn’t treat her well but sadly there will probably be far more dates like this one in her future. If a man says he wants to have sex 10 minutes into the encounter very little is going to dissuade him from his mission. He made his intentions clear early on. If she didn’t want to have sex with him, that should have been her cue to leave. Most women will find themselves in these situations countless times. At least Ansari didn’t mislead her, lie to her and tell her he had deep feelings for her, have sex with her and then never speak to her again. That move is also quite common and insidious with men of all ages.

If women want to be taken seriously as equal members of society we can’t pretend we are suddenly hopeless lambs without agency or power. If we don’t want to do something we have to say NO. We have to sometimes say no loudly, repeatedly and say it with purpose. Women don’t owe a man sex if he just bought us dinner, lives in an expensive apartment or is a television personality. We don’t owe a man a reciprocal blow job if he’s already gone down on us. If we aren’t comfortable we need to say so and not wait until the next day, ruminate over the whole thing and then decide we are violated. If a man has made it clear to us that he wants to have sex and nothing more, then we can make the choice to agree to it or not.

Honestly I fear that the article will be used by MRA (Mens Rights Advocates) who try to argue that date rape doesn’t really exist. That date rape basically boils down to women regretting their choices from the night before and then crying rape/sexual assault after the fact. Sexual assault is a vicious and ugly thing to endure. It robs people of control over the most personal part of themselves, their body and dignity. I don’t see that type of ugliness in this scenario. I see instead a young inexperienced woman who was still holding on to an idealized fantasy of how the date should have gone, and a entitled, immature man intent on getting laid. When she finally gave him a forceful NO he stopped. She went home and cried and he probably jerked off to porn. It was an awkward and uncomfortable sexual experience for both of them, not a criminal act.

This whole thing reminds me of a time when a friend of mine went out with another celebrity I won’t name. He was quite a bit older and also presented himself as a woke type who respects women. On their date after dinner and drinks he sat down next to my friend in her apartment and put his arm around her back. Before she knew it he was on top of her and had whipped out his erect penis. Now my friend is an athlete. She used to compete in professional pole dancing competitions. Before he knew what hit him, she shoved him off with all her force and screamed “GET OFF OF ME! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” His response was a meek “Sorry, sorry, sorry. I thought that’s what you wanted.” It wasn’t. They never went out again, but now my friend had a hilarious story to tell at parties. In her case he wasn’t a rapist either, just a clueless entitled idiot who backed down the second he got a hard refusal. These things happen, they’re called bad dates, not sexual assault.

I’ve been single now for about eight years straight since my divorce. In that time I’ve had a few short-lived relationships but for the most part I’ve flown solo. I’ve discovered the hard way that the term “single” means a lot of different things to different people. This city is so large and so densely populated it seems some can’t help but constantly see a never-ending array of choices for potential partners. I’ve had so many men bold-faced lie to my face regarding this issue that I’m tempted to hand them a survey, and tape the entire exchange so when they say

I never said I was single

I won’t really do that but it’s frustrating that I feel like I have to ask questions like a prosecutor in order to get the truth out of some random dude on a date.

So what does it mean to be “single” in the city that never sleeps? I’m not including polyamorous or non-monogamous men in this list because they tend to be incredibly upfront and honest about their relationships status. This is for about the “single” boys who just like to blur the truth.

Single Single: You aren’t having sex with anyone on a regular basis. You try to date but nothing seems to work out. You mostly hang out with your friends and maybe watch porn.

Mostly Single: You are casually seeing someone. You’ve hooked up countless times, you socialize together and most of your friends consider you a couple. Although you’ve both being seeing each other on a regular basis for months neither of you like “labels” and you’re not sure if she’s having sex with other men or not. You take photos of your friend and post them on social media but never with yourself as a couple. Even though she’s met your parents and you’ve taken trips together she’s DEFINITELY NOT your girlfriend and as far as you’re concerned you’re 100% single. You flirt with other women and lead them on, but usually stop short of hooking up with them.

Single on Facebook Single: You’ve been dating someone for months now, you just haven’t bothered to change your relationship status update on Facebook yet.

Friends With Benefits Single: You’ve got a rotation of women that you text on the weekends and late at night for sex. You like them alright but you’re hoping none of them get too clingy or text you too much. All of these women know they aren’t the only one in your life and you are NOT serious about any of them. There’s one gal on your list who you tend to text more often and dump all your emotional garbage on them. For now she puts up with it. If she starts telling you too much about her life you’re out. You’re still hoping to find that perfect someone if she exists at all.

Tinder Single: You like to have sex with lots of women, but usually only once. Tinder is your favorite method of hooking up. You sometimes accidentally swipe right on a girl you’ve already banged. Things can get awkward. You’ve also learned it’s better to call women by a pet name since you’ll forget their name seconds after meeting them. They all become honey or babe to you, if you even bother to have a conversation before or after sex. You’re definitely single but single for life.

We Broke Up I Swear Single: You broke up with your girlfriend months ago but you’re both on a lease and finding a new apartment in tricky in Brooklyn. Neither of you would say you’re dating. You’ve even got a couple of roommates but since this is a three bedroom apartment, that means one of you has to sleep on the couch and there have been plenty of late nights when you’ve ended up hooking up again. You still fight so it’s a bad situation but it’s only temporary and for the moment you’re looking for love! Maybe you’ll end up moving in with your next girlfriend.

I’m totally over Her Single: The love of your life just left you. OK she didn’t just leave you it’s been almost two years but you’re TOTALLY over her. Sure you still have every photo you’ve ever taken together on your social media accounts, and yes you still constantly bring her up but you are TOTALLY over her. You still call her mom from time to time but her mom is a really nice woman. You’d do the same thing! Last weekend you helped her move into a new apartment and assembled most of her furniture. She knows she can call you at any time of the day or night but you are OVER HER. She’s a great and beautiful person and it just didn’t work out and you wish her nothing but the best.

I’m a Liar I’m not Single: You tell women you’re single because you want to have sex with them. You’re a married man or you’ve had the same partner for years and have kids with her. According to the tax code you’re single but by just about every other metric you are very much one half of a couple.

My category – Feral Single – I’ve been single for so long now I don’t know if it’s possible for me to have a relationship anymore. I LOVE living alone. I never want to compromise on anything or make any major decisions in my life again that involve another person. I’ve gone feral. Like a former house cat who was once fed and cared for I now survive by my wits. After a long hard day I come home vent on Facebook and talk to my cats. I’ve become the ultimate loner – self-sufficient, wily, and not likely to be tamed any time soon.

The situation goes something like this. I meet a guy who shows interest in me. A few have even invested quite a bit of effort and energy to win my favor. Just when I think I might be letting my guard down enough to actually bond with him, I find out about her. She might be an ex-girlfriend, an ex-wife, the mother of his child or the one who got away. She have helped destroy his marriage, or gone out with him on wild benders. She could have, slept with his best friend, stolen his money, joined a cult, realized she was gay, or stuck around in his life just enough to emotionally manipulate and abuse him. There are so many ways to become “her.”

I find a problem with “her” in nearly every middle-aged single man I meet. To be fair I’m sure plenty of women also obsess about a “him” from their past. It seems as we get older we become a patchwork of our former triumphs and traumas and can’t help but bring them to the next relationship. Our nostalgia and idealization of former lovers keep us trapped. Some men are more transparent about this than others. I’ve had the following happen to me while on first dates with men I barely knew.

One admitted his marriage fell apart because he was still in love with his former girlfriend. He never worked it out with the former girlfriend but his obsession destroyed his marriage.

Another said he was still angry at his last major girlfriend. Not so uncommon except he had dated her over 20 years before I sat across from him nibbling on tapas.

One said and I quote “I still love my ex-wife. My friendship is very close with her, even though she’s with someone else and if you or any other woman has a problem with that, I’ll always choose my ex-wife.” This might be understandable if they had children together but they did not, and she lived halfway across the country.

Another guy told me that he was still in love with his ex-wife, even though she had told him she “never wanted to have sex with him”, and she had left him for another man.

The worst one was a man I had dinner with who went on and on about another female comedian he had corresponded with on OKCupid. When he found out I knew her he said, “I find her fascinating and would love to have drinks with her.” I blocked him from my phone on my way home.

I even had a man ask me for advice on ways he could get his ex back. This was WHILE he was on a date with me. I honestly felt sorry for him, but give me a break.

Even in my first major relationship right out of the gate post-divorce, my partner openly pinned away for the woman he had just dated before me. She lived on the opposite coast and had never actually spent any significant time with him, but in his eyes she was somehow perfect. Because she was inaccessible she was without flaws, yet an available woman who actually wanted him would never measure up.

This happens so often that now when I meet new guys I almost want to just ask him,

“So where are the bodies buried when it comes to your ex? Do you hate her? Do you still love her? It doesn’t matter as hate and love are two sides of the same coin, so either way it’s bad. How many times do you talk to her in a given month? Are you actually divorced yet? Get it all out now, so I can leave before we might feel obligated to actually order dinner.”

When I see this pattern repeated it just reinforces every insecurity I have about myself. All of the following go through my brain at the same time

Why is he so obsessed with her?

Why is no one obsessed with me?

Why am I OK for a backup but never the primary woman in any man’s life?

Why do some men obsess over women who treat them like garbage?

Do men only want women that they can’t have?

Why would he still want her if she left him for another guy?

I’m not good enough. There’s something about me that makes me disgusting or unappealing.

Why did he chase me if he really wants her?

Would he take her back if she wanted to try again?

If I improved myself or changed my personality would that help?

What magic do these women posses?

I admit none of those thoughts are healthy or useful. It’s my neurosis going on overdrive. I find the constant struggle against “her” extremely demoralizing and a disaster for my self-esteem. I can logically tell myself it’s not me, the guy is just hung up on his ex, and he’d treat most women like this. I want to grab some of these men by both shoulders and scream

“She doesn’t want you anymore, let her go.”

“She’s so mean to you, you deserve better.”

“”If you think you guys still have a chance, then do everything you can to get her back, just leave me alone.”

The hardest are the men with children. I don’t have kids myself, so I honestly have no idea how strange an intertwined a relationship with an ex could get. Even if two parents absolutely hate each other they will still be deeply entrenched in each other’s lives for many years to come. So far I’ve encountered men who bend over backwards to keep their ex happy, and men who constantly battle with their ex over every decision involving their kids. Both are a nightmare for a new partner. If a man is spending all of his energy towards the ex there’s nothing left for anyone else.

This rarely happened in my 20’s. Men that age just didn’t seem to get as worked up about a former partner. It seemed like people were breaking up and hooking up with new partners all the time, without much second thought Once we get older and put much more investment into a relationship, it just gets harder to let go. When our own personal “Happily Ever After” story gets crushed, we have a hard time imagining a new one. In and ideal situation I would just pass out a psychological evaluation to every potential new partner with lots of questions about how they view their ex. I know that would never really work, but it would certainly save us both time and energy. *I’m not really serious, that’s sarcasm….but honestly it would make things easier.

Before I get started with this one, I want to indicate that this problem is not gender specific. Both men and women are equally obsessed with or tormented by a former spouse or partner. Since I’m a woman, I’ll use the term Mr. My Bitch Ex-Wife but it could just as easily but a Ms. My Asshole Ex-Husband.

One of the biggest obstacles with dating after a divorce is getting past the damage caused by your former marriage. It’s something I struggle with, as my divorce was incredibly traumatic. I faced betrayal, lies, fraud, infidelity and was nearly destroyed both financially and emotionally. I’ve been the very person I’m going to describe here, and I still struggle to get past it. I’m not as bad as others, but I’ve got much room for improvement.

I’ve found on most dates I’ve had with total strangers, they usually blow their cover in the first 10 -15 minutes of the conversation. It’s happened so often, that I could almost take a stopwatch and time the first comment that will issue a red flag in my head. I’ve heard lines like the following before the waiter dropped off the menus.

My ex-wife is such a bitch

I hate my ex, she’s pure evil

My ex-wife is crazy, insane, psycho, etc.

Isn’t divorce hell, my stupid ex-wife ruined my life

For the rest of the date, literally every topic somehow goes back to their ex-wife. A drink reminds them of the bitch ex-wife, the food, my phone, my dress, a story from my past, my hair, it just doesn’t end. The worst cases will demonize their former partners to such a degree, that I might believe their ex could be a danger to the public.. Their former partner is a complete raving lunatic, hellbent on destroying lives and impossibly cruel.. If I believed everything a Mr. My Bitch Ex-Wife tells me, then they were somehow a hapless victim who got tricked into marrying a she-devil who flipped out the minute their nuptials were final.

Now sometimes they could be speaking the truth. Both men and women can unwittingly marry sociopaths, narcissists, serial cheaters, partners with untreated mental illness, substance abuse problems or violent raging tempers. Marriage and relationships are a crap shoot, and most of us enter into them with the best of intentions. No one has a crystal ball to see into the future and people do change their personalities, or deep-seated problems surface years into a marriage. Regardless, if their conversation revolves around stories about an ex, they’re probably not ready to date someone new. It’s doesn’t matter if they are beautiful, charming, funny or otherwise perfect, if they are that fixated on an ex there’s no room for a new partner. However there is some gray area here. If you’re past the age of 35, you’re not going to find an age-appropriate partner who does not have some complicated baggage. It’s hard for anyone to get past a major break-up or divorce, so it’s not unusual or unexpected behavior to vent about a former partner. It’s also next to impossible to talk about your past if you have to block out 10 years or more to avoid talking about an ex. No one is perfect but some warning signs to look for are the following.

Speak in absolutes – When they speak of their ex, it sounds as if they are describing a fairy tale villain. There are no redeeming qualities, the person is completely evil, mean, cruel, or vicious.

Take no responsibility for picking their partner – Regardless of the circumstances of my divorce I do take full responsibility for choosing my husband. Yes, he lied to me and was incredibly deceptive, but I chose to ignore several warning signs that could have indicated something was up. I wanted to live in denial. I didn’t want to face reality.

Portray themselves as complete victims – In some cases this is true, but how did the person react to abuse? Did they take steps to get out of the marriage? Did they fight back? What did they try to do to change the situation? In some marriages, especially ones with children, people can feel trapped. What they do to save themselves or the situation is very telling. Even just standing up and calling out the abuse can be quite courageous and proactive.

Every ex is crazy – I knew one woman who literally claimed that all four of her ex-husbands tried to kill her. The stories she told were fantastical, and she had problems keeping the details straight. Anyone can make the mistake of marrying or dating someone with a propensity for violence, but it’s highly suspect if every former partner is unstable and violent. Either they love being in destructive relationships, or they are exaggerating their past.

Ultimately it comes down to what you are comfortable with. If you want to take a chance on someone who spends half the date ripping apart their ex, then go for it. You might be happier though with someone who actually wants to get to know you, and not treat you like a free therapist. If he says the words “bitch” and “ex-wife” in the same sentence right after meeting you, it might be a clue that you’ll end up being the next “bitch ex” in his life he’ll complain about to someone new.

I’ve lived in New York City now for fourteen years. I’ve been single for the past six, and I started searching for a co-op about a year ago. I couldn’t help but notice the eerie similarities between hunting for real estate and looking for love. Both are rare and precious commodities. New York City’s vacancy rate hovers around 3% and never goes above 5%. About 3/4 of all apartments are rentals, leaving only the remaining 1/4 available to buy. Most of the apartments on the market are co-ops that require financial gymnastics, and approval of an overly scrutinizing board. Even if you find an apartment in your budget you still have to get 80% financing and then impress upon your soon to be potential neighbors that you’re a low risk addition to their building.

Dating here is not much better, especially for single women. New York City has 150,000 more single women than single men. It might not seem like a huge number in a city of 8 million but it’s enough to throw off the odds a bit. To make things worse most New Yorkers work long hours, live scattered over five boroughs and have little disposable income to throw away at dating. I’ve found it’s best to not get too emotionally attached to any one partner or property.

I once was the only person to show up at an open house for a cute prewar newly renovated studio in prime condition. Just as I was about to start the long and arduous process of making an offer, an all cash buyer walked in before I had a signed contract and snapped the property out from under me. I watched in horror as the same scenario happened again with other properties. In dating, I’ve had a few amazing dates with men who seemed almost perfect only to have them vanish without explanation. My text messages went un-answered, my emails ignored and I never knew the reason.

I couldn’t help but see the similarities and the heartache that went with both, so I devised a glossary of sorts of common terms used in NYC real estate listings and how they equate with the dating scene in New York City.

Prime Location = Is the trip between Astoria and Bushwick worth it? Can a man in the Bronx find love with a woman in Staten Island? Is Queens to New Jersey even possible? Finding someone on the same subway line = prime location

Low Maintenance Costs = Cheap date

All Cash Buyer = Partners that offer everything up all at once with very little drama and no strings attached. The downside is they could flip you. Just as quickly as they find you attractive, they’ve moved on. They can just as easily make another offer as quickly as they made the first.

Unit has pre-existing long term tenant = Married.

Board Approval Required = Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn – everything dissected and analyzed for risk assessment. Are you friend’s with an ex? Is your job stable? Do you post NSFW videos, sports clips or cat memes? How many friends do you have? Are your tweets too personal or do you post political rants? Do you change your status update 20 times a day? Do you hardly ever check your profile? Are your photos of landscapes, or of your family

No Board Approval Sponsor Sale = The person either doesn’t know how to use the internet or doesn’t care. No questions asked as long as you fit the criteria. You are dealing with a risk taker or at last someone over 50 who doesn’t understand this thing called “the internet.”

Lack of Inventory = Are you a woman over 35? Then you know exactly what this means. Most men in your age group are married or at least coupled up. You’re going to have to look a lot harder for what you want, or settle for someone much younger or older. It’s not as a big of a problem for men. If you’re wondering why, it’s called babies, biological clocks and a patriarchal culture that values younger women over older. Although no one is immune, both genders can have unrealistic age standards when it comes to dating.

As impossible as the New York Real estate market is right now, I’ve had far more luck finding a new apartment, then a partner. Let me rephrase that for emphasis. I’ve actually had an easier time finding an affordable apartment in a year than I have finding a partner in the nearly six years I’ve been divorced. I’m not even kidding. In my search for an apartment I had the help of an attorney and real estate agent. I also looked EVERYWHERE from the far reaches of Brooklyn, to Queens, upper Manhattan and even parts of the Bronx. I called and emailed at one point about 25-30 agents and saw as much property as I could possibly fit into my schedule. There wasn’t much on the market in my price range but I viewed everything within reason.

I’ve basically tried the same approach to dating in that at this point I’ve probably been on at least 25-35 dates. Most have been awkward and painful and a few men have had full blown meltdowns. I’ve been out with men who complained about their ex-wives the whole time, bragged about their drug use, openly insulted me, or expected sex on the first date. The vast majority of emails I’ve gotten on online dating websites have been from men under age 25 or guys looking for no strings attached sex. Most of them men who do contact me never follow through with a date. So far nothing has worked, and I haven’t gone out with anyone for more than two or three dates in over five years.

For now, I’ll just settle for the apartment of my dreams rather than any prince charming. Real estate is more stable anyway, it won’t have a midlife crisis and leave me for a younger seller, develop a substance abuse problem, grow mean and bitter and blame me for all it’s shortcomings, develop a gambling or ignore me and go play golf. It may not cuddle at night but it will increase in value, and in the end I might get lucky and unload it to an all cash buyer. I certainly couldn’t ask for such certainty with a new boyfriend.

My whole real estate search also made me ask some questions about myself. I’m definitely a pet friendly unit with good financials and low maintenance, but one that needs some TLC. I’d also say my board is fairly strict and rather picky of any potential candidate but the opportunity for a long-term investment is solid. Now, if I could just find the right buyer, I’d be all set.

I’ve heard stories of women getting scammed from online dating sites, and I never thought I would be a target. Most of the stories involved men starting up long-distance, virtual romances with women. Eventually, the romeos would ask for money, either to come meet their true love in person or to help with a personal tragedy – a dying mother, a sick child, or a cancer diagnosis.

I always thought I was immune to this sort of scam because most of the stories I’ve heard involved older women and I refuse to engage in correspondence with anyone who doesn’t live in my immediate area. I trust no one. Then one day I got a message from a profile that looked like a Jaguar in a parking lot full of Hondas. For the purposes of this article, I’ll call him Mr. Beautiful. He simply wrote,

“Hey.”

It was the classic non-committal male introduction. I probably get 20 messages like that a week, from “Hey” to “Hello” to “What’s up?” Most of them go unanswered but this one peaked my interest because the sender was a full-on pretty boy, light brown hair, striking bone structure and a chiseled hairless torso. Now anyone who knows me well, knows I have a “type.” If you lined up all of my ex-boyfriends and trysts, most of them look like they need a sandwich, or two. I like a lanky man. A massive chest and chiseled abs have never been my thing.

I’m also overly cautious around men who are drop dead gorgeous. As I’ve said before on this blog,

He who gets the pussy easily, does not treat the pussy well.

Of course there are exceptions to that rule, but most of us know exceptionally good-looking men who go through women like a rottweiler goes through chew toys. Mr. Beautiful was so attractive, I wouldn’t put him in the top 10% or even 1% of the men I’ve seen. I would put him in the top one tenth of one percent of absolutely, crazy, perfect men I’ve ever encountered. It just didn’t make sense to me that he would be on a free dating site. He had his occupation listed as “model” which made sense, but models come in contact with plenty of attractive women all day long. A typical beautiful person for hire will meet other models, makeup artists, photographers, art directors, interns, agents, managers, stylists, and even celebrities.

Suspecting fraud, I started analyzing his profile further. All of his photos were candid. He didn’t post professional modeling shots. Whomever created his profile tried to make it look casual and believable. They used well lit snapshots that appeared right out of his daily life. I still thought though that someone could have downloaded the images from a social media account and the entire thing was a ruse.

As an experiment, I decided to send him a brief email back. He responded by asking a few questions about what I did for a living. I thought this was odd, as most men ask where I live, they don’t ask what I do. Questions about my occupation still wasn’t enough to figure out if this man was the real deal or not. I told him a few superficial things about myself, but didn’t give him my name.

I then read his profile more closely and discovered he was using his actual name on his account, which is extremely unusual for anyone on a dating site. A quick google search later and I found out the name and images he was the former face of Calvin Klein fragrance. The information on his profile and Wikipedia page were almost completely identical. It wasn’t an exact cut and paste, but there was absolutely no additional information about him on either source. It seemed a bit too perfect, but I still wanted a greater smoking gun. I didn’t want to go out with this man, I just couldn’t help but try to find the evidence I needed to crack the facade.

I kept digging and found two Instagram accounts. One had 32,000 followers, and the other had only 300. The smaller account was made up of a bunch of the same photos at the dating profile. The smaller Instagram account also had some of the exact same information as the dating profile such as his dog’s name, and more bits of personal information. Both Instragram accounts were public. It didn’t appear that one was personal and the other used for publicity. If that were the case, then why not make the smaller profile private? It seemed like someone created a phony Instagram account to further legitimize the fake dating profile.

I got a second email from Mr. Beautiful.

“You know I hate this site. Why don’t we just chat on this other app.”

My suspicions were completely verified when I realized he wanted me to follow him to some sort of third-party site. OKCupid has a chat feature so there was no reason we had to go outside of it to talk in real time. I googled the app and found that it was rife with porn offers and other adult solicitations.

I responded,

“I don’t think your profile is legitimate. I think this is some type of scam. I’m out.”

I tagged his profile as phony but waited before I blocked any future messages. I wanted to see if he responded. I located the real model on Facebook and left him a simple message on his fan page that someone was impersonating him on OKCupid.

I got absolutely no response from the Mr. Beautiful profile or the model he was impersonating. I doubt the real model even noticed my comment. He probably had someone manage his Facebook page for him. It was surprising though that whomever created the phony Mr. Beautiful account didn’t even try to plead innocence. I honestly expected an email like,

“Hey, I’m real. What are you talking about?”

My bet is when I called the scammer out on their deception they just deleted me and moved on. I’m sure they probably emailed dozens of women hoping some of them would take the bait.

When I started talking about this on my Facebook account, most of the comments I got were from men along the lines of

“So this happens to women too?”

My guy friends all had stories to tell of women from other countries seeking green cards, ladies asking for money and prostitutes posing as every day gals just looking for a date.

Of course an International male model could be on a dating site, even a free one, but the two Instagram accounts, the perfect match to his Wikipedia page and the insistence on using an outside application to communicate just screamed FRAUD.

I couldn’t help but think of the classic line regarding New York real estate

If it looks to good to be true, it probably is.

Meeting the face of Calvin Klein fragrance on a free dating website is about as likely as finding a one-bedroom in the Upper East Side with a balcony, an eat in kitchen, and jacuzzi tub for $500 a month. I’m sure it could happen in some alternate universe but it’s highly unlikely.

Part of me wonders if Mr. Beautiful really did have a legitimate profile. Maybe I was just being too suspicious and we would have rode off into the sunset to have our painfully awkward first and only date. I think instead I dodged a bullet of requests for nude photos, an avalanche of dick picks, pornographic spam, unauthorized charges on my credit card, computer viruses, malware, identity theft or requests for money. I guess I’ll never know. HA! Whomever created the fake account wasn’t an idiot, but one of the many gifts I got from my difficult divorce was – NEVER TRUST ANYONE. Sure it causes me problems from time to time, but I’m much less likely to fall for a scam artist in an International model’s clothing. I still prefer a thinner guy with messy hair rather than a pretty boy with rock hard abs anyway. If someone wanted to dupe me, they would need to use a much more average looking guy who desperately needed to fill out his clothing. If he had a pair of specs on his face….it could be my undoing.

It’s been five years since my marriage completely disintegrated. I found myself suddenly thrust back into the dating pool at age 36. My single friends tried to warn me, but I honestly had no choice. My marriage was dead and there was no saving it. I made every dating mistakes a few times. I’ve evolved from overly emotional, clingy and starry-eyed to cynical, jaded and emotionally bereft. I keep hoping things will get better, but they never improve. I’ve tried online dating to no avail. Most of the guys online never follow through with dates, so I find myself carving out precious time only to resort to sitting in a coffee shop by myself or watching House of Cards on Netflix when my date cancels. You know it’s bad when you think to yourself that doing business is easier than dating in this town. I’ve honestly been treated better in most professional relationships, than I ever have been in romantic ones.

So I’ve devised this list. It pretty much encapsulates what’s become of dating in the city that never sleeps. From what I’ve heard this across the board for men and women of all sexual orientations and gender identifications.

How to Date in NYC

1. Lower your expectations – I’ve gone from thinking “Maybe I’ll get remarried someday” to “Just answer a simple text message, I only sent you one in the past three days.”

2. Become numb – Get rid of all of your highs and lows as they will not serve you.

3. Show no weaknesses – Don’t let on your hopes and fears too soon. Show no signs of insecurity. These things can come later, but since this person probably won’t stick around for any length of time, they don’t need to know any of this. Put your game face on and keep it on.

4. Expect rude behavior – If you send a simple “What’s up?” text, do not expect a response. This is after you’ve been out with the person and seen them check their phone every ten minutes. Expect last minute cancellations, constant excuses for why they aren’t available and angry rants about ex-partners. These are all par for the course.

5. Completely give up on the notion of age appropriate – I’m hit on by men as young as 18 up to around 27 or 28, then the next largest demographic is mid-fifties. I can’t explain this, but I’ve given up trying. I just go with what’s offered.

7. Trust no one – Because we live in a city of strangers, a person has to earn your trust before you just believe anything they tell you. “I had to work” could easily mean – “I was hooking up with one of my other regulars” You might eventually trust your partner, but until then, take what they say with a grain of salt. Note inconsistencies, never assume they are legit.

8. Get used to the phrase – “I’m just so busy” – You’ll say this yourself. But you will also hear it as an excuse for everything.

9. Get used to the phrase – “Oh but you live so far away.” New York City is a big town. We sometimes meet in the middle of this Metropolis in Manhattan. Only later do we realize that a Bronx to Queens commute is just impractical. Although some expect to put in absolutely no effort whatsoever. Basically they will only consider dating you on a regular basis if you live two or three stops away on the same subway line they take every day.

10. Have fun with showing off your dick pic collection, and you’ll get one…trust me you’ll get one. – I don’t know if there is a lesbian or straight woman equivalent, or if this phenomena is as common with every sexual orientation. I only know that straight women and gay men easily collect dick pics and full frontal nudes. I’ve scrolled through dozens in my gay friend’s phones. I’ve gotten several and I never once requested – “Please send me a photo of your cock. Preferably a self-portrait taken with your phone. A bathroom shot would really be something special!” I’ve also gotten requests for photographs of body parts or my mouth wrapped around dildos and various objects. I’ve never complied. Who said romance was dead?

11. Accept your fate as a crazy cat lady/eccentric bachelor. – I know this brings us to eleven. For men I guess the crazy cat lady equivalent is the weirdo eccentric bachelor. We all know a few. The guys who never got married and have that apartment just full of strange things from their youth. It’s small and rent stabilized and they’ve lived there for years. They’ll probably die there but they won’t be eaten by their pet cats, instead someone might stumble upon their mummified corpse after neighbors complain of the smell or they are a final no-show for their eviction in housing court. I hope that’s not my fate, but things aren’t looking so good lately.

Susan, I know you really think you’re helping out young women by encouraging them to nab an eligible bachelor while they’re still in college. Interestingly though the divorce rate is much higher for women who marry for the first time under the age 25. If women actually take your advice they might pick what you think is a brilliant mate, but if they marry him before age 25, they’ll battle the same genius in divorce court later.

Here are your eight reasons why women in New York City can’t get a husband. I know this article was published back in March, but a friend just sent me the link and I felt compelled to respond. I left my husband nearly five years ago, and haven’t had a serious long-term relationship since. You claim to know WHY women like myself are still single, so I’m going to answer each one of your reasons with my own personal experience.

1. We drink too much – I actually don’t drink alcohol often, and do absolutely no drugs. I’m a vegetarian and you would probably encourage me to seem less complicated and start eating meat. Well that’s not going to happen.

2. We spend too much time on iphones and other electronic devices – My ipod has been broken for the past several months. I miss it. The earbuds drowned out the constant cat calls. I live in a less gentrified area of Brooklyn, and it never stops. Am I supposed to stop and engage an intoxicated gentlemen the next time he makes a comment about my ass? Maybe that’s why I’m not meeting Mr. Right!

3. We wear too much black – Of course that’s it. Black makes us look like witches and men hate witches. I know Angelina Jolie gets no attention and she wears black all the time. She even plays a witch in Maleficent and everyone knows, men can’t stand the sight of Angelina Jolie.

4. We are dating too many guys at work – I’m self-employed and have no co-workers so I’m not sure how I’m doing that. I guess I’m dating myself too often.

5. We spend too much time with our gay friends – This is New York City, are you out of your mind? I don’t just have gay friends. I’ve got transgender, gay, bisexual, pansexual, polyamorous and several who identify as gender-flexible. I’m not giving up my non-heterosexual friends.

6. We are ignoring our biological clocks – I know I’m 41 and am well aware of it. Am I supposed to get pregnant by any random man? That would seem a bit reckless. How about I just accept it’s not going to happen and focus on something else. Adopted kids need homes too. I don’t have to grow one in my womb.

7. We hook up too much – OH HOW I WISH THIS WAS TRUE! Honestly I’m fairly picky, I’ve got trust issues, and I just don’t feel safe hooking up with most of the guys who offer it. It’s not their looks so much as its how they treat me. If a guy is rude, I have very little interest in sleeping with him. I also don’t like bad sex, and hookups are like rolling the dice. I don’t know the last time you hooked up with anyone but it can be absolutely dreadful.

8. We overly rely on NYC conveniences – Actually I don’t. Take out is pricy. You also implied this lifestyle is making us fat, but New York City women are some of the fittest in the country. And Susan you are a full-figured gal, I would just celebrate it and stop blaming General Tso’s chicken.

So that’s your eight reasons, and I answered every one of them. Now I have a few questions for you. Susan you’re divorced. How did that go? My divorce pushed me to the brink of madness and into a literal death spiral. I had massive depression, anxiety attacks and suicidal tendencies. I eventually went on antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication. I’m fine now, and drug free but, It was a regular horror show. I’m sure your divorce wasn’t easy. Since marriage is about a 50/50 chance nowadays why would you promote anyone to enter into a legally binding relationship that could end in a catastrophic divorce?

Here are my five reasons, why I doubt I’ll ever say “I do” again.

1. I never want to combine my money with another person – This is the MAIN reason I never want to get married again. I used to work with my husband, and when my marriage fell apart my income evaporated. Now I make my own money and decide how I spend it. It’s amazingly liberating and I never want to go back to even a joint checking account.

2. I don’t want to move – I like living in Brooklyn. If I choose to move, it should be my choice.

3. I’ve accepted I’m never having my own children. – If I do decide to have a child, I’ll probably adopt. The adoption process is long and expensive but having a baby at my age is not without problems. I’ve also accepted that I might never be a parent. A lot of women never want to have kids. I did, but my life didn’t work out as planned. I don’t feel like a failure because I won’t be a parent.

4. I feel complete and fulfilled as a single person – I know this might shock you. I don’t know how you manage as a single person yourself. The daily torment must be getting to you. You must be so miserable that you write books encouraging young women to desperately get what you don’t have. I would love to date someone special but the longer I’ve been single the more I’ve grown to love it.

5. I never want to get divorced again – If someone wants to get married four or five times good for them. The prospect of going through another divorce though is so terrifying to me, I think I’ll avoid doing it again.